I found this thread on "Timebomb 2000". The author said it could be cross posted and I would like anyone's thoughts or responces that are in the "know". Thanks in advance. "quote" To all the Pollys who didn't bother to read the facts...

"One more time and with feeling"

Let me restate the KCTV-5 "Call for Action" summary of their multiple part investigative series on KCP&L controversy with GST Steel Co.http://www.kctv.com/

CALL FOR ACTION Internet Newsletter May 13, 1999 ------------------ TODAY'S TOPICS EXPLOSION AT HAWTHORN PLANT Y2K SCAM INTERNET SERVICE TROUBLE RECALLS NORTHLAND DEALERSHIP PROBLEMS ---------------- EXPLOSION AT HAWTHORN PLANT

The GST Steel company in the northeast part of town spends millions each year for electricity to make steel wire and rods. Last year the company says it had to spend an extra half million dollars because KCPL's power to the plant was unreliable and halted production 14 times. GST also claims the utility has maintenance problems all over the city.

We obtained records GST filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities. In them, GST claims "reliability problems encompass KCPL's entire system," and "leaves in doubt," KCPL's ability to meet the needs of customers. GST says there were 26 unplanned outages at KCPL plants like this during four months of last year, and "no generating unit" operated everyday for a full month. GST claims KCPL has cut back on maintenance, spending about 12% less than it did four years ago. The steel company says KCPL "cannot be permitted to allow the reliability of its system to deteriorate."

We also learned GST claims February's explosion at the Hawthorn plant was, "the culmination of the increasingly erratic and unreliable operation of the KCPL system." The company says KCPL plans to charge it millions more for electricity because of that explosion, and that will have dire consequences. GST says the added costs, KCPL's poor maintenance, and tough competition in the steel industry have created an "emergency" and placed the steel company in a "precarious situation." GST says the problems may force it to close the plant, which employs 834 people, with a payroll of $66 million. GST asked the public service commission to stop KCPL from raising its rates and to investigate the utility's "deteriorating system."

KCPL calls the allegations unsupported speculation and innuendo. In a written statement KCPL says is "consistently ranks better than national industry averages" in the number and length of outages. The company adds: "We are confident that our record of performance speaks for itself." KCPL also says some of the power failures at the steel plant were caused by GST's equipment and problems at another plant. The company claims GST made the allegations to force it to reduce the steel company's rates; rates KCPL says are a bargain. That bargain will continue KCPL says, even if GST has to pay more because of the Hawthorn Explosion.

The staff of the public service commission says: "To date it sees no reason to conduct a special review" of KCPL's maintenance, and the commission recently decided not to investigate. The commission says GST improperly filed the complaint and if it wants the allegations investigated it should re-file the complaint. GST told us they may do just that, because they think the facts are substantial to back up the allegations."

Now, let's isolate and note the key statements that support my own sources claims in the prior posts above:

[keep in mind that KCTV-5 based these statements upon the following criteria: "We obtained records GST filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities."

#1. KCPL's power to the plant was unreliable and halted production 14 times.

This is not me stating this...this is GST Corp. See the above link to KCTV's website for verification.

GST claims it's power was interrupted 14 times halting its production.

#2. "GST also claims the utility has maintenance problems all over the city."

Again, this is not me stating this. This is KCTV-5 stating the claims made in an affadavit to the State of Missouri Utility commission.

#3. "GST claims "reliability problems encompass KCPL's entire system," and "leaves in doubt," KCPL's ability to meet the needs of customers"

Again... I didn't state this...GST Steel Co. has stated it.

#4. "GST says there were 26 unplanned outages at KCPL plants like this during four months of last year," ...

Again... I didn't state this... GST Steel Co. has stated it.

#5. "and "no generating unit" operated everyday for a full month."

Again... I didn't state this...GST Steel has stated it... #6. "The steel company says KCPL "cannot be permitted to allow the reliability of its system to deteriorate."

Again... I didn't state this... GST Steel has stated it...

#7. "GST claims February's explosion at the Hawthorn plant was, "the culmination of the increasingly erratic and unreliable operation of the KCPL system."

Again... I didn't state it... GST Steel Co. stated it...

#8. "GST says the added costs, KCPL's poor maintenance, and tough competition in the steel industry have created an "emergency" and placed the steel company in a "precarious situation." GST says the problems may force it to close the plant, which employs 834 people, with a payroll of $66 million."

Again... I didn't state this... GST Steel has stated all of this in filed affadavits with the State of Missouri. The Utilities Commission is a political animal and initially turned down GST's request for a hearing...on technical, legal grounds involving due process. The issue has now been refiled...and GST is reportedly weighing its options for a massive lawsuit.

My point in all of this?????? HEY IDIOTS... These allegations are made by sources other than mine...they are saying the same thing... only they are not publicly linking it to Y2K. It's funny but that all of a sudden with Y2K testing having gone into full swing that suddenly KCP&L can't seem to do anything right. Things are blowing up and catching fire all over the place. Far beyond the norm.

Go back to my original post and see the KC Star article where one safety group expresses concern about KCP&L after the plant explosion in Kansas City and a similar one in Michigan.

These are but 2 of 6 power plant explosions that have occured in the US in the past year. Nobody wants to talk about this unprecendented spate of explosions and the coincidences to Y2K testing. Coincidences? If you believe they are all coincidences...I've got a Bridge in Brooklyn you might wanna buy...or how about some prime swampland property in Florida?

Face the facts folks...You are being lied to by the Electric Industry just like the Oil industry has been lying to you.

-- R.C. (racambab@mailcity.com), June 21, 1999. "end quote"

Is thisa more doom and gloom? Is this author being truthfull? Is it as bad as he says it is at this power plant? Is this what we can expect from thoses plants that are in the same age group?

Thanks again. Rich

-- Anonymous, June 22, 1999

Answers

Yes, many things are blowing up, satelite launches, power plants (GM Plant Michigan, Florida Power Plant), gas line explosion in Northwest. There are however, numerous sources for bias not the least of which is the increasing accesibility of news through the internet. Also, bad news makes good print. Lastly, if one were to take the hypothesis that unremediated Y2K failures led to power plant explosions in Missourri, why are the lights still on in say Italy, Venezuala or third world nations, which claim to have done next to nothing on Y2K. This I agree would not address the instance of failures discovered (and hopefully) remediated during Y2K testing. The early warning system we may have available to us is not the international date line but instead those parts of the world using complex systems and w/o the will or resources to investigate them for Y2K problems, so far this front is still quiet. While I agree we may be in a very, very bad situation, postings like this remind me of a chapter in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy where a steward of a city goes insane after looking for days through a crystal ball and seeing only the forces of his enemies. Not sure what that means and its OT.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 1999

Richard, in my experience I've found that the answers to many questions do fall into an either/or category. By that I mean to say that it's very often a case that the truth does not come down all on one side or the other, but is usually somewhere in the middle.

For instance, in the post you are concerned with, it's very probable that GST has indeed had problems with KCPL's service to them. However, we also have to notice that while GST cites poor maintenance and tough competition as some reasons for KCPL now being in a "precarious position", it is also asking the public service commission NOT to allow KCPL to raise its rates. So we have to ask ourselves, if improvements do need to be made by KCPL, how does GST expect them to do that without getting the money for those improvements? Is GST more worried about deteriorating conditions or more concerned about paying more for their electricity?

In an older thread on this forum at: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000kDo

there is part of a post from an industry insider (CL) which would appear to confirm that the industry is presently in a down-sized cost-cutting mode and a swing back to higher staffing and maintenance levels is needed:

"I have seen reliability be risked through maintenance budget cuts, excessive layoff that cut quality folks and bleed vital knowledge. All at the hands of bean counters with no love of engineering. During the 70's budget cuts caused critical wounds that didn't get healed until the middle 80's when reliability began to reflect the neglected maintenance policies. We are in the 70's mode now, analyze how much can be cut without impacting operations, then cut more until you see exactly when operations begin to show the effects. Sorta like not changing your oil until you hear the valves start to knock. Eventually, the bottom line and the potential for huge expense correcting neglect induced equipment problems will bring staffing and maintenance back to proper levels. If not, a competitor with sound maintenance practices rooted in realistic engineering economics with a long term vision will take over the slackers in a triumph of the free market system. (patriotic music plays soflty in the background)."

"This is what I fear with big gov't heavy in the utility biz. Bean counters at the helm and politicians overseeing it all. I'm afraid that the government tendency to gravitate to the least common demoninator will lead to the excellent utilities doing exactly what the gov't requires - and downgrading their performance. Won't the market and the love of sound engineering do a better job than the gov't?"

To accomplish a swing back to higher levels, however, it's quite obvious that money will be needed to do it and when a business has already gone the cost-cutting route the only option is to raise rates to supply the needed income. So GST's protests are ambivalent, since they want improved service but don't want to pay for it either! As is often the case, the truth of a situation falls somewhere in the middle. The situation is probably not as bad as GST claims, and probably not as good as KCPL claims. It also sounds possible that GSTmay be in a precarious financial position themselves. Utilities are far from the only industries which are fighting competition and treading a tight fiscal line right now.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 1999

Oops. Any readers have probably figured out from the context that I omitted the word "not" from the first sentence of my post above, but I'll correct it anyway. It should read, " the answers to many questions do not fall into an either/or category."

-- Anonymous, June 22, 1999